Tennessee

Goodwill of Middle Tennessee sees 40% increase in donations in final week of year

Published

2 days ago

January 2, 2025

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Goodwill of Middle Tennessee sees 40% increase in donations in final week of year

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — If you’re feeling the need to do a little de-cluttering in the new year, you are not alone.

According to Goodwill of Middle Tennessee, in the final days of 2024, their donations increased by about 40%.

“We’re taking in those donations from the community, processing them, and then getting them out on the sales floor as quick as we possibly can,” said Leisa Wamsley, Chief Operating Officer of Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee.

Ken and Carla Webb took part in the drive-through Donation Express on Thursday at Goodwill’s Bellevue location.

“We cleaned out the closet after Christmas and got rid of some old clothes and some things that didn’t fit anymore and brought them in to Goodwill. Maybe they’ll go to some good use,” said Ken Webb.

The Webbs make this stop two to three times a year.

When cars come through the drive-thru, a bell alerts workers someone has arrived.

“When I hear that bell, what I think about is that it is a bell that’s going to change people’s lives,” Wamsley said.

Appliances, Christmas decorations, clothes, books, and more are sorted in the back before employees place them in the store to be purchased, however, that transaction is only part of the process.

According to Wamsley, the money made from selling donated items helps fund Goodwill’s mission, including its Career Solutions Centers.

“Solar installation training, construction training, welding, those are all programs that the community can take advantage of for free and that’s paid for by the sale of donations,” Wamsley said.

This time of year, as the donations pile up, their purpose is clear to Wamsley.

“Three pairs of jeans are going to pay for an hour of career coaching,” Wamsley said. “I can tell you that I’ve seen so many lives changed simply because people donated their goods to us.”

Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at robb.coles@newschannel5.com.

Why this man is transforming the Murfreesboro Cemetery School into a museum

This story by Aaron Cantrell reminds me of my first school in Dyersburg, TN. I was a student at Bruce School from Kindergarten to second grade until the school system was integrated. My parents graduated from this K-12 school in 1960 in one of the city’s African American communities. After sitting empty for several years, part of the school was demolished while the rest was renovated and now serves as a community center for the Bruce community in Dyersburg. A local pastor is now trying to do something similar in the Cemetery community in Rutherford Co.

-Lelan Statom

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Tennessee

Inside Igor Milicic Jr’s 18-rebound game for No. 1 Tennessee basketball vs Arkansas

Published

6 hours ago

January 4, 2025

Press Room

Inside Igor Milicic Jr’s 18-rebound game for No. 1 Tennessee basketball vs Arkansas

John Calipari’s first observation about this Tennessee basketball team compared to last year’s is the Vols are a year older.

The second was about “the transfer in.”

The Arkansas coach was talking about Igor Milicic Jr., which was readily apparent as Calipari detailed what that unnamed transfer did Saturday. He stretches the floor for Tennessee. He helps the Vols.

He had double-digit rebounds, the key facet of Calipari’s description as Milicic had the best rebounding performance by a player in coach Rick Barnes’ decade at Tennessee.

“Igor was spectacular,” Barnes said.

Milicic grabbed 18 rebounds with six offensive boards and 13 points as No. 1 Tennessee (14-0, 1-0 SEC) pounded Arkansas (11-3, 0-1) on Saturday at Food City Center. It was his career best and the best by a Vol under Barnes.

Igor Milicic explains his 18 rebounds for Tennessee vs Arkansas

Milicic provided a simplified explanation for his rebounding success. His teammates block out and clear the way for him.

“I just need to go jump and get it,” Milicic said. “It’s not that hard, honestly.”

Milicic made it look that easy against Arkansas. The 6-foot-10 forward had nine rebounds before halftime, notched his 10th rebound 33 seconds into the second half, and kept going.

The Charlotte transfer is the fourth Vol in the past 20 years to have at least 18 rebounds in a game.

Milicic preached consistency as a key to being a good rebounder. You have to keep crashing the boards even when you are tired. You have to accept contact.

Barnes credited Milicic for his anticipation skills, quickness and good hands. He added more credit to his effort. He got that overall against Arkansas as Tennessee outrebounded Arkansas 51-29 with 24 offensive rebounds.

Milicic was the tone-setter because he makes it a priority, guard Zakai Zeigler said.

“Even if he is not shooting the ball well, I can count on him to go get 10 rebounds or go get five O-boards,” Zeigler said. “It is just really impressive he does it day in and day out.”

Why rebounding is fun to Igor Milicic Jr.

Tennessee knew Milicic was a good rebounder coming from Charlotte, where he averaged 8.5 rebounds last season.

His offensive rebounding has impressed. The Vols play faster than Charlotte, which means more rebounding opportunities. They also put more of an emphasis on offensive rebounding than Charlotte, which Milicic has enjoyed.

“It just another opportunity to score,” Milicic said. “It is all of us. We get extra opportunities to score and it shows with the shooting that we have here. It is really fun — and of course sometimes you get a putback, right?”

Milicic is averaging 8.9 rebounds after his 18-rebound game. The only other Vol to average that many in a season in the past 20 years is Jarnell Stokes, who had 9.6 per game in 2012-13 and 10.6 in 2013-14.

The Croatian has three straight games with at least 10 rebounds. He has double-digit rebounds in four of the past five games and six of the past eight. He had nine in one of those games.

He rocketed past those impressive games with his best one yet Saturday. That prompted Calipari’s attention and an understatement when he stated Milicic is “pretty good.”

A more fitting description is the compliment that followed: Milicic is doing what Calipari wishes his players would do. He’s an all-out rebounder and he’s one of the best at it.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson or Bluesky @bymikewilson.bsky.social. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.

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Tennessee

No. 1 Tennessee vs. No. 23 Arkansas: Game information, lineups, notes

Published

17 hours ago

January 4, 2025

Press Room

No. 1 Tennessee vs. No. 23 Arkansas: Game information, lineups, notes

Tennessee emerged from its non-conference slate unbeaten and has topped the major polls for four-straight weeks.

Now, the No. 1 Vols (13-0) begin their biggest challenge: SEC play.

TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM

Tennessee opens league action against No. 23 Arkansas (11-2) at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center on Saturday (1 p.m. ET, ESPN) in the first of back-to-back games against ranked teams and one with a number of intriguing storylines.

The Razorbacks, winners of four-straight, are led by a familiar face in John Calipari, who is in his first season after leaving Kentucky where he went up against the Vols in several notable games in the previous 15 years. Saturday also marks the return of former Vols forward Jonas Aidoo, now on the visitors side.

Aidoo will be facing a few of his former teammates, but Tennessee’s impressive start has been helped by the addition of two transfers of their own in starting guard Chaz Lanier and forward Igor Milicic Jr.

Lanier leads the Vols in scoring with 19.6 points per game and has scored 20-plus in six of 13 games, while Milicic is the team’s top rebounder, pulling down 8.2 per game.

The staples of Tennessee’s roster that were key in winning the league one year ago will again be key in its success in an SEC that has 10 teams ranked in the polls and 13 projected to reach the NCAA Tournament.

That includes the league’s assists leader in Zakai Zeigler and one of its most stingy defenders in Jahmai Mashack. And the bench, tested after the loss of JP Estrella to a season-ending injury and the abrupt exit for Cam Carr, has at least two proven options in Jordan Gainey and Cade Phillips.

How all of their contributions translate to what has proven to be the best conference in college basketball after a month and a half will soon be determined.

Here is everything you need to know about Tennessee’s SEC opener.

GAME INFORMATION

Who: No. 23 Arkansas (11-2) at No. 1 Tennessee (13-0)

When: Saturday, Jan. 4 | 1 p.m. ET

Where: Food City Center | Knoxville

TV: ESPN (Karl Ravech, play-by-play; Jimmy Dykes, analyst)

Radio: Vol Network (Bob Kesling, play-by-play; Bert Bertelkamp, analyst)

Series: 49th meeting all-time (Tennessee leads, 26-22)

KenPom: Tennessee 76, Arkansas 64

PROJECTED LINEUPS

NUMBERS EDGE

POINTS PER GAME

Arkansas 82.5

Tennessee 80.1

FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE

Arkansas 51.5%

Tennessee 48.9%

THREE-POINT PERCENTAGE

Arkansas 36.8%

Tennessee 35.5%

MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Three thoughts ahead of Tennessee basketball’s SEC opener vs. Arkansas

ASSISTS

Tennessee 16.8

Arkansas 16.8

REBOUNDS

Tennessee 38.9

Arkansas 36.2

BLOCKS

Arkansas 5.7

Tennessee 5.5

PREGAME NOTES

— Rick Barnes and John Calipari are meeting again as two of the winningest active head coaches in college basketball. Calipari is No. 1 among Division I coaches with 824 victories while Barnes is second with 819. Barnes is 13-12 vs. Calipari in head-to-head match ups.

— Tennessee will look to continue its success as the No. 1 team in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. The Vols are 13-2 all-time as the top-ranked team in the poll, and 12-1 under Rick Barnes, including a five-game win streak since jumping to No. 1 four weeks ago.

MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Rick Barnes assesses Tennessee basketball ahead of SEC play

— Tennessee and Arkansas’ non-conference schedule included three common opponents. The Vols went 3-0 vs. Baylor, Illinois and Miami, winning by an average margin of victory 10.0 points while the Razorbacks went 1-2 against those teams, beating Miami and losing to Baylor and Illinois at neutral sites.

— Arkansas guard Johnell Davis was listed as “probable” on the initial SEC availability report on Friday night. Davis hasn’t played since Dec. 14, sidelined by a wrist injury. Davis began his career at Florida Atlantic. He scored 15 points against Tennessee in the Sweet 16 in 2023. He is averaging 9.2 points with the Razorbacks.

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Tennessee

Arkansas basketball availability report – Tennessee week

Published

1 day ago

January 4, 2025

Press Room

Arkansas basketball availability report – Tennessee week

The first availability report for Arkansas basketball’s (11-2, 0-0 SEC) matchup against the No. 1 Tennessee Volunteers (13-0, 0-0 SEC) was released by the Southeastern Conference on Friday.

Introduced over the offseason, availability reports will be filed one day before contests, with an additional update on game day.

According to the SEC, student-athletes will be designated as “available”, “probable”, “doubtful” or “out” for their next game. For additional clarity on game day, student-athletes will be designated as “available”, “game time decision” or “out.”

Below is the first availability report of the week ahead of Arkansas’ game against Tennessee, which will tip off at noon CT at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee:

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